Be merry and eat a cherry – our top two recipes
They’re in season, indulgent, whimsical and special, bringing extra delight to any occasion.
Here our top 2 picks from Cherry Time™ – South Africa’s foremost cherry producer –which has collaborated with some of South Africa’s top recipe creators who have crafted timeless dishes to put the cherry into your summer feasting.
Merry Cherry Messes
by @miss_luckypony
INGREDIENTS
Cherry Syrup:
- 1 cup @sweet_cherrytime™ – pitted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Meringues:
- 4 egg whites – room temp
- 220g castor sugar
- 2tsp white vinegar
Cherry Cream:
- 250mls fresh cream
- 3 Tbsp cherry syrup
- A big handful of Cherry Time Cherries sliced – just cut around the pip.
METHOD
In a pot over a medium heat bring the cherries, sugar, water & lemon juice to a gentle boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 12 mins.
Remove from heat, then with a wooden spoon push down hard on the cherries before pouring the syrup through a sieve & into a bowl. Push as much liquid through the sieve as possible. Cool syrup completely.
How to make meringues: Preheat the oven to 130°C. Place a piece of baking paper onto a baking tray.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer/KitchenAid, beat the egg whites until fluffy, then SLOWLY add the sugar a tablespoon at a time.
Once you have a thick glossy mixture, add the vinegar & mix for 3 mins.
Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with whatever nozzle you like & start by making the bottom halves of your pavlovas. I piped out round flat circles about 10 cm wide.
For the tops, use 2 different star-shaped tips – pip out small meringues next to one another to form little constellations.
Bake everything for an hour. Once done turn off your oven & let the tray of meringues cool down inside.
How to serve – Beat the cream until stiff peaks form then gently stir in the syrup & sliced cherries.
Place a COOLED meringue disc on a plate, add a big dollop of cream, then top that with a meringue constellation. Pour cherry syrup over them just before serving.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups @sweet_cherrytime™ cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 500g puff pastry sheets
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- sugar for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons of the Cherry filling
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon water
METHOD
In a small saucepan, on medium heat, whisk the cherries, sugar, lemon and cinnamon.
In a bowl, mix cornstarch with the water.
When the Cherry mixture starts boiling, add the cornstarch and whisk for a few minutes until thick and syrupy. Finally add the vanilla and let it cool completely.
Prepare the pastry by cutting it into equal size rectangles and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
To assemble, on every alternate pastry rectangle place in the centre a tablespoon of the Cherry filling (keep aside 2 tablespoons for the glaze) allowing for a border, then cover with another pastry rectangle, sealing the ends by using the tip of a fork to indent the edges.
Preheat the oven to 200C and place the pop tarts in the freezer while the oven heats up. In the interim, prepare your egg wash by mixing whisking the egg and water. Then brush the egg over the surface of each tart and finally sprinkle with sugar before popping into the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the Cherry glaze.
To make the glaze, mix the sugar, Cherry filling and water then strain through a sieve and spoon over the cooled tarts.
Why not try one of these delicious recipes to treat your Christmas guests? Order the very best farm to table cherries from Cherry Time at www.cherrytime.co.za
